...The Bible tells numerous stories about men overcoming the adversities of the devil, God’s kindness to all his people, and the inspiration of the disciples of God. However, perhaps the most vexing of all, are the stories of when people don’t find the will and strength to overcome evil. Each character in “Where are you going, where have you been?” represents a religious parallel to the bible and humanity in general. Connie is a human undergoing the trials of life while Arnold represents the temptation of Evil. Even the story itself has words and phrases that connect back to religion. The short story, in many ways is a series of religious ideas and parallels, that spread to the characters, word choice and even small details that are presented...
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...The short story of Joyce Carol “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is more dreamlike than a real story. There are so many instances where the author presents the main character Connie in daydreaming and fantasies of love songs and moments she encounters with boyfriends. Being in a teenage, Connie uses most of her time vanished in recognizing herself as well as her place in the world. Her mother has even realized that Connie usually daydreams because when she compares her two daughters, she praises June because of her commitments in various duties, but she notes that Connie does nothing, but she is just occupied with “trashy dreams” (Keilbach,1). Through Connie’s daydreaming conduct that is portrayed all through in the story, I believe that her...
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...“Smooth Talk” & Joyce Carol Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” are supposed to be the same story, one can only wonder if the same message is actually being presented. Through extensive research on the criticisms of both the story and the film, I have come to the realization that the overall moral & the characters of the story have been changed so much for the film version that at the end it’s questionable at best if the overall message of the story comes across as intended. Beginning with the moral of the story, in an article by Joyce Carol Oates herself entitled "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? & Smooth Talk: Short Story into Film” she discusses how she “deferred in the end to Joyce Chopra's [The Film’s Director] decision to reverse the story's conclusion… [in which] the film ends not with death, not with a sleepwalker's crossing over to her fate, but upon a scene of reconciliation, rejuvenation” (Oates, “Where” para 10). Yet, as this deferral might seem slight, in actuality it changes the whole tone of the story, as critic John Simon put it, “[this] disgraceful ending… turns allegory, Gothic horror, and tragedy into soap opera” (Simon, “Lowering” para 1). Yet, besides the ending Joyce Carol Oates did approve of the film, in the same article she also stated, that “Laura Dern is so dazzlingly right as "my" Connie that I may come to think I modeled the fictitious girl on her” (Oates, “Where” para 9). Before I go on I would briefly...
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...preeminent master of the short story.” Her literary career began with her first novel, With Shuddering Fall, in 1964. Soon after she wrote her most noted work, “Where are you going, where have you been.” She grew up in the Erie County countryside near Lockport, which provided the setting for some of her stories and novels. I believe that this area where she grew up was where she based her story “Where are you going, Where have you been.” She was raised in a catholic household, but now is an Atheist, which could be why in “Where are you going, Where have you been” she is portraying the battle between good and evil. Oates’s critics argue that this short story is about sexual innocence, but I believe that Oates is portraying the religious battle between good and evil and she describes real life in her fictional work. In “Where are you going, Where have you been,” Connie, the young girl, hates her mom because her mom is jealous that her daughter is so beautiful. So Connie and her mom are always fighting and arguing about how Connie needs to be careful. When Connie leaves her house and goes out with her friends she dresses modestly just to make her mom happy, but when her friend’s dad drops her off she rolls up her shirt so that she is showing off some skin. She and her friends go to a fly infested, drive-in hamburger joint and meet some guys there. Connie goes off with a guy, but as they are walking off another guy yells out to her “I am going to make you mine.” She just laughs about...
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...Analysis of Two Short Stories Laura Cutler Ashford University Introduction to Literature ENG125 Instructor Rivera March 2, 2015 Analysis of Two Short Stories A literary analysis is important to assist a reader in knowing how or why an author writes a particular piece of literature, whether it is a poem, short story, novel , play, informational piece, etc. and then have the ability to relate to it as an individual. In the short stories 'Sweat' and 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been' the characters are from different walks of life, they both encounter conflict of: individual versus self, individual versus individual and individual versus society; many literary devices create theses stories that include the author's point of view, the conflicts that arise throughout and the resolution that takes place in the endpoint of view, the conflicts that arise throughout and the resolution that takes place in the end. The theme to any piece of literature is the basis for the whole story, in 'Sweat' and 'Where are Going, Where Have You Been' the story is centered primarily on one individual and what they each go through to survive an abusive/violent situation. The theme involves the survival of an individual through: external and external factors, that include the influence of society and the issue of class; sexuality of a women and men and the men's masculinity; suffering and the struggles that deal with violence, both physical and mental; family and religion....
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...Maps of the Real World as Seen in Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Researchers have said for years that reading is good for you. It encourages the thought process and can relays methods of working through situations one has never encountered before; that reading is the difference between a smart well-prepared child and one set in stone for failure. This resonance is similar to that of Gretchen Schulz’s and R.J.R. Rockwood’s belief asserted in “In Fairyland, Without a Map: Connie’s Exploration Inward in Joyce Carol Oates’ ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’” that, “The society depicted in ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’ has failed to make available to children like Connie maps of the unconscious such as fairy tales provide, because it has failed to recognize that in the unconscious, past and future coalesce, and that, psychologically, where the child is going is where he or she has already been” (1453). The point Schulz and Rockwood are making is that Connie’s generation and many following it, are neglecting to read fairy tales as bedtime stories and are consequently inhibiting the child’s ability to experience and work through problems he will encounter in adolescence. Whether we are aware of it or not, these stories have lessons that engrain themselves deeper than that on the superficial layer of a hero will save the day. For my short story analysis I will exemplify Oates’ fairy tale...
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...Two stories, two individuals, and two different personalities coming together to create a suspenseful and spine-chilling form of literature to surly make the reader obtain the full experience. In Charlotte Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper, the storyteller is a patient with her husband as her caretaker who has been confined to a specific bedroom. This woman has been forced against her will to have no form of action to express herself which leads to an uncanny and incomprehensible withdrawal from reality. Another short story with similar uneasy narration written by author Joyce Carol Oates is called Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? exemplifying a woman who has decided it is time that she goes out and has some fun in the town...
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...Hullinger Mike Fiscel English W132 26 September 2013 From Tribes to Literature The word Goth derives from a German tribe referred to as the Goths. The term Gothic was later used during medieval times for the construction of buildings with pointed arches and vaults (Lad). In my essay, I chose to discuss two pieces of Gothic fiction. The first piece of Gothic fiction I decided to discuss is, “The Cask of Amontillado.” It was published in 1846 by the famous short-story writer and poet, Edgar Allan Poe. The second piece of Gothic fiction I chose to discuss is, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” It was published in 1966 by Joyce Carol Oates. In Gothic literature there any many characteristics to its writing and famous short-stories such as “The Cask of Amontillado” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” contain many of those Gothic fiction characteristics. Summary “The Cask of Amontillado” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. Montresor is the main character of the story and also acts as the narrator. The story begins by him vowing his vengeance towards Fortunato for insulting him. Montresor hides his animosity towards Fortunato so he does not expect anything. He maintains a deceiving presence towards Fortunato and plots to exploit Fortunato’s weakness for luxurious wines. Carnival season came upon the city and Montresor finds Fortunato at the carnival. He invites him to try some of his sherry at his home. Montresor doubts Fortunato’s skill with wines which...
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...Richard McQuitery Analyzing “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” English 221 Westwood College “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates is a story with connections to Bob Dylan, has themes of control and family, and has an antagonist that is believed to have been based on a serial killer. It is one of many stories of the ages that will be discussed for years to come. Joyce Carol Oates dedicated this short story to Bob Dylan. Oates admitted in an interview that after hearing Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” she was inspired to write the story. (Davidson, 1997) Leave your stepping stones behind, something calls for you Forget the dead you’ve left, they will not follow you The vagabond who’s rapping at your door Is standing in the clothes that you once wore Strike another match, go start anew And it’s all over now, Baby Blue (Dylan, 1965) After hearing these lyrics in Dylan’s song, it is very easy to identify the scene with Connie speaking to Arnold Friend through the screen door. The song’s eerie tone adds a greater depth to Arnold and Connie’s conversation. In an interview on Youtube, Oates was asked why she dedicated the story to Bob Dylan, and her response was: “…Dylan was in a phase where he was writing music like “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and that song, and some others on the same album were rather like fairy tales and nursery rhymes that had gone wrong. He had taken a kind of simplicity of imagery...
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... that I believe should be cut from the course in the future, is “The Story of an Hour.” “The Story of an Hour” to me was completely boring, and not very teachable. It also was not a very memorable story; while I was easily remembered all other stories when trying to determine which story should be removed, I completely forgot about this one. I don’t believe it is very teachable because there isn’t very much to say about what happens. The piece from the second half of the semester, that I believe should be cut from the course in the future is, “Saboteur.” Ha Jin’s Saboteur is well written, but it was unable to grab my attention. Maybe it is because it was assigned for the end of the semester, which is a very hard time to focus, but nonetheless, it was not interesting. The ending frustrated me and was quite disappointing. I feel as though we could have read something better that tied in with the general theme we had going on with the rest of the stories....
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...* The short story ”Be Here Now” written by Miguel Syjuco, was published in 2012. The short story is from Miguel Syjuco’ anthology “Elsewhere”. We meet a journalist who is struggling with PTSD, and his girlfriend Jenna. The story is about a mixed race man, his grandfather was Asian. He is a photographer, and he has previously been taking war pictures in an Arabic country. “I browse through some of my photos that made front pages. A soldier on his knees defusing an IED on the roadside […] A group of boys hiding behind mothers and sisters dressed in niqabs”. This quote shows that he has been in a warzone in an Arabic country. The short story takes place in their house, and follow them through there first days after moving in. The journalist recently came back from the Arabic land where he took war pictures and is now having a difficult time coming back from reality. Jenna is his fiancé and she is the one keeping the relationship going, planning the weeding and the setting up the apartment. After he came back from the war, he has been neglecting his relationship with Jenna, and he is just realizing how important the present and his future. The journalist is having a hard time getting over the things that happened in the war, and he is struggling coming back to the reality. In the short story he has been described as if his life is about checking his email, Facebook and being mentally everywhere else then where he physically is. The story covers about 2 day because we hear...
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...Jackson State University Department of English and Modern Foreign Languages English 105 Research Paper Rubric ____ I have included my title page. ____ I have included my sentence outline. ____ I have included my table of contents page. ____ I have included my five page body of my research paper. ____ I have included my Works Cited page. ____ I have checked my paper for grammatical accuracy. ____ I have been careful to give my authors credit for the sources I have used. Grammar and Mechanics ________of 20% The writer displays mastery of punctuation and mechanics adhering to grammatical rules. The student uses formal and Standard English avoiding slang and casual language. Content and Subject matter ________of 20% The writer has successfully created a paper displaying original, creative thought and content. There is no redundancy and the writer stays on topic creating an interesting essay for readers. Parallelism, unity, and coherence ________of 20% The writer’s work is clearly organized, and each paragraph adheres to the topic sentence. Additionally, the paper does not ramble and is easily understandable and rational using transitional devices. MLA formatting and documentation ________of 10% The paper adheres to all the strictures of the MLA format including in text citations, direct quotations, and proper Works Cited documentation. Thesis Statement and Application ________of 10% The thesis statement is present and concise...
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...Adapted When most books or stories are turned into movies, the movie usually does not follow the written story to the letter. The movie usually differs in the amount of detail presented as well as how and when events throughout the book happen. However, this common practice holds false when it comes to the adaptation of the movie Smooth Talk and the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” After evaluating the story and the movie, the short story was successfully adapted to film. The plot, setting, and diction remained the same; while, there are minor differences in the ending and character development. This goes to show that not all rumors of movies not being as good as books are true. In both, the movie and the story the plot, setting, and diction are the same. The plot is identical in both the movie and the story. Connie, a fifteen-year-old girl, discovers her sexual awakening. As a result, an older man is enticed by her actions and begins to pursue her. The setting is a summer in the 1980s, however the location was never revealed. In the movie Smooth Talk, Connie and her friends were seen lying on the beach. By viewing this scene, one could assume that the story takes places in a coastal area, but the background information suggests that it takes place in the desert. As for the diction, the characters are very proper. The words are spoken clearly and they barely use contractions. On the other hand, Arnold Friend is very euphonious when he first approaches...
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...The Aha! Moment “You get the sense that the scene is an answer to something. It can be such an epiphany and that's what's so powerful about it. But the danger is that the very epiphany that you have initially can ultimately lead you into a trap, escaping life,” spoken by Greg Harrison. This quote underscores the nature of epiphanies as both the solution to a literary or actual problem and as a dangerous trap. In The Seagull Reader Stories,“Cathedral”, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, and “A&P,” all depict epiphanies. To have an epiphany, one needs to have an arrival of understanding and develop a new sense of intuitive realization. Epiphanies do not always have a bad ending with a trap, but each story has its own unique epiphany which creates vulnerability and or illuminates life lessons. During an epiphany, there is a sudden realization, often depicted in cartoons as a lit lightbulb floating over a character's head. Concommit with this realization, is an exposure and vulnerability to an ambush. Often, when the hidden knowledge is revealed, the discoverer is susceptible to the consequences of their discovery. Sammy, the protagonist in “A&P” by John Updike, goes through an epiphany. Three girls walk into A&P, the grocery store where Sammy is a cashier. The girls are dressed in only bathing suits and the store manager scolds the girls for their attire. Sammy suddenly realizes that he didn’t want to work for a person that is rude to girls. Sammy quits his job in an...
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...What changes have you experienced? Introduction Imagine a person that had to experience a major change during his/her life that concluded in short or long term effects on the individual. For example, death of a person that was close to his/her heart, moving to a different city and/or state, and coping with the changes that one may experience during middle to high school. Previously listed are events that may occur during one’s life, which could develop into an Initiation/Rite of passage story. In the two given short stories, “Reunion” by John Cheever and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Oates, the genre Initiation/Rite of passage is expressed. In Cheever’s story a boy and fathers had been separated for a given amount of time, while in Oates’s story a teenaged girl experienced changes regarding emotions. As both stories experienced different examples of the genre, I feel as if they both offer good and bad examples throughout the stories. Summary Beginning the story, “Reunion”, the boy had taken a train from his grandmother’s home to a cottage that his mother had rented. While traveling, the boy, Charlie, had encountered a layover time in New York where his father worked. He had not seen his father during the past three years of his life because he had moved when they encountered the divorce. Therefore, Charlie had asked to meet his father for lunch during his layover time so that he could see him again. As they had gone from place to place to try to find...
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